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South Africa will prioritise deploying 9.6 gigawatts of battery storage and gas-to-power infrastructure to strengthen its long-term energy strategy, Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa announced on Wednesday.
The initial procurement phase targets 4.6 GW of battery storage systems and 5 GW of gas-to-power installations, with allocations for wind and solar capacity to follow in subsequent stages.
The initiative forms part of the government’s broader Integrated Resource Plan, which aims to add over 105 GW of new generation capacity by 2039 while transitioning away from coal reliance.
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South Africa currently operates five battery storage projects totalling 513 megawatts.
Minister Ramokgopa highlighted that expanding battery infrastructure will allow the grid to capture stranded renewable energy from solar and wind generation, which currently suffers from grid capacity constraints.
The ministry is also advancing its gas generation goals, which envision 16 GW of gas capacity in the national energy mix by 2039.
Authorities are evaluating bids from four shortlisted consortia to deliver an initial 2 GW of gas-to-power generation.
